JP2002165200A - Service system for remote game watching - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video providing service enabling virtual enjoyment of the real thrills of game watching at a stand, and enjoying full sense of realistic presence, while adapting to the hope and taste of each users, such as recipients and clients who are located at remote sites, such as one's home or meeting halls. SOLUTION: In a service system for remote game watching comprising a server 10 for communicating video streams over internet broadcasting, clients 20, 20-1 to 20-n for receiving the streams, more than one imaging terminals 30, 30-1 to 30-m provided in a sports arena and a network 40, where the server 10, clients 20, 20-1 to 20-n and terminals 30, 30-1 to 30-m are connected, there are provided video-sending devices 32 for sending videos imaged by imaging cameras 24, control signal inputting devices 33 to input control signals from operating devices 23 of the clients 20, 20-1 to 20-n and imaging control devices 34 for changing imaging conditions of cameras 24, based on the control signals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video providing service system via a network such as a broadcast network or the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a recent video providing service system,
Broadcasting stations transmit a plurality of videos at the same time and select one of the videos on the receiving side, thereby enabling a variety of services that were not possible in the past.

For example, in the field of TV broadcasting, it becomes possible to provide programs of hundreds of channels of high quality, to reserve and view programs, to implement program-linked broadcasting, and to realize live programs with viewer participation by interactive broadcasting.

[0004] In the field of Internet broadcasting, video data is compressed by video coding, and distribution (broadcasting) on a network and on-demand services are also realized.

[0005] In the field of sports broadcasting such as baseball and soccer, a variety of relay broadcasting using the above-mentioned various services using a plurality of cameras has been realized.

[0006]

However, in a sports relay system implemented in the prior art, a baseball stadium or a soccer stadium is controlled by an instruction of a director of a broadcasting station or a processing / control of a video stream of an Internet management server. It simply switches the image of the dedicated camera installed on the stand or receives the combined image obtained by combining the images. For example, in a highlight scene such as a soccer goal scene or a baseball home run scene, conventional sports broadcasting provides images centered on strikers and batters in accordance with the movement of the ball, but the receiver or client desires. It is not possible to selectively view an image from an arbitrary angle, an image matched to the movement of a specific player such as a goalkeeper or a pitcher, or the like.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to virtually enjoy the real pleasure of watching a stand in accordance with the wishes and preferences of a user such as a receiver or a client in a remote place such as a home or a meeting place outside the stand. It is to provide a video providing service full of a sense of reality.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0009]

The outline of the invention disclosed in the present application is briefly described as follows.

(1) A server for transmitting and receiving a video stream in Internet broadcasting, a client for receiving the video stream, a plurality of photographing terminals installed in the stadium,
In a system including a network in which a server, a client, and a shooting terminal are connected, the server includes a video input device that inputs a video stream from the shooting terminal, a video management device that manages the input video stream, and a video stream. And a transmitting device for transmitting the processed video stream to the network, wherein the client receives the video stream transmitted to the network, and a display for displaying the video stream. Device, comprising an operating device for controlling the imaging conditions of the imaging terminal, wherein the imaging terminal,
A camera for photographing, a video transmitting device for transmitting a video photographed by the camera, a control signal input device for inputting a control signal from the operating device of the client, and a photographing control device for changing a photographing condition of the camera based on the control signal This is a remote watching service system including:

(2) In the remote watching service system of the means (1), the client includes a camera for photographing a user and a microphone, the photographing terminal includes a display and a speaker, and a terminal for a user of the client. The video is output to a display, and the audio is output to a speaker.

(3) In the remote watching service system according to the means (1) or (2), the server includes a charging management device for charging a client according to a service usage form of the client.

(4) In any one of the means (1) to (3), in the remote watching service system, shooting conditions of a camera are registered in advance in the server.
During a match, a desired video is provided to each client.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote watching system for Internet broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The remote watching system according to the present embodiment includes a server 10, a client 20, a photographing terminal 30 installed in a stadium, and a network 40.

Although FIG. 1 shows two clients 20 connected to the network 40, a large number of clients 20-1 to 20-n are actually connected to the network 40.

Although only one photographing terminal 30 is shown as a representative, a plurality (30-1 to 30-m) of the photographing terminals 30 are provided according to the clients 20-1 to 20-n.

The photographing terminal 30 comprises a photographing camera 31, a video transmitting device 32, a control signal input device 33, a photographing control device 34, a display 35, and a speaker 36.

The server 10 includes a video input device 11 and
Video management device 12, video processing device 13, transmission device 1
4 and an accounting management device 15.

The client 20 comprises a receiving device 21, a display device 22, an operating device 23, a camera 24, and a microphone 25.

The receiving device 21, the display device 22, and the operating device 23 can be replaced by a personal computer with an interface card.

In such a remote watching system, the remote watching service of the present embodiment will be described in detail by taking an example of actually watching a baseball game as an example.

In the present embodiment, the video stream means video data with audio.

A plurality of photographing terminals 30 installed in the stadium
The video stream collected and photographed by the photographing camera 31 is output from the video transmission device 32 and is transmitted via the network 40 to the video input device 11 installed in the server 10.
Is input to

On the other hand, when the user wants to watch a baseball game remotely at home or at a meeting place, the client 20 connected to the network 40 accesses the server 10.

The display device 22 of the client 20
, Selection of exclusive use or joint use, and designation of the photographing terminal 30 (for example, designation of a camera installed behind the back net, a camera on the back screen side, or a camera at the infield seat) Further, the photographing conditions (for example, panoramic photographing, zooming, etc.) in the initial state of the watching camera are selected using the operation device 23.

If the designation of the photographing terminal 30 and the photographing conditions have already been registered, the user selects "registered". The photographing terminal 30 is, for example, an HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer).
By assigning an address such as a protocol, the address can be easily specified.

In the case of exclusive use, if the desired photographing terminal 30 is already used, another photographing terminal 30 is designated or changed to a joint use service described later. Here, it is assumed that the desired imaging terminal 30 is empty.

Fees are set according to exclusive use or shared use, and according to the position of the photographing terminal 30 installed in the stadium, and the service is started when the user has agreed to pay the prescribed fee. Server 1 until the service ends
The billing process is performed by the billing management device 15 installed at 0.

The photographing terminal 30 and photographing conditions desired by the user are taken into the image management device 12 of the server 10 and the control signal input device 3 of the desired photographing terminal 30 installed in the stadium is set.
3. The photographing conditions are sent to 3.

The photographing controller 34 changes the photographing conditions of the photographing camera 31 based on the control signal set in the control signal input device 33 to photograph.

Further, the video stream input to the video input device 11 is edited and processed by the video processing device 13 based on the control signal from the video management device 12, and the processed video stream is transmitted to the network 4 via the transmission device 14.
Sent to 0.

Then, the video stream is input to the receiving device 21 of the user's client 20, and the video of the user's desired camera position and shooting conditions is displayed on the display device 22, and the baseball game is played by the user's own video. You can enjoy.

If there is a request to watch the game with the video from the back screen while the favorite team is attacking and the video from the back net while defending, the shooting set on the back screen side If both the terminal 30 and the photographing terminal 30 installed on the backnet side are selected and operated and switched by operating the operation device 23 of the client, both images can be enjoyed. By selecting a plurality of photographing terminals 30 having different installation locations in this way, for example, it is possible to simultaneously watch the back net and the infield seat, and realize a multi-directional watching that cannot be enjoyed when actually watching at the stadium. it can.

By operating the operating device 23 of the client, the photographing conditions of the selected photographing device 30 can be changed as appropriate, so that, for example, the camera can be zoomed and panned. You can enjoy the feeling of operating the camera.

Further, the client 20 includes the camera 2
4 and a microphone 25. The camera 24 captures the face or upper body of the user, the microphone 25 obtains a voice of the support of the user, and these video and audio data are transmitted to the server 10 via the network 40. The image data is transmitted to the display 35 and the speaker 36 of the photographing terminal 30 registered in the video management device 12 via the network 40.

As a result, the video and audio of a remote viewer are output from the displays and speakers of the photographing terminals 30 installed at a plurality of places in the stadium, so that it is as if the viewer is at that location. You can create a cheering atmosphere like

When it is desired to end the remote watching, the end command is transmitted from the operation device 23 of the client 20 to the server 10. If there is no transmission of an end command from the client 20 even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the end of the game, the server forcibly ends the service.

In the above-mentioned remote watching service, a case has been described in which the user monopolizes one photographing terminal 30 personally, but it is also possible to select a form in which a plurality of persons share the use.

When all the photographing terminals 30 installed at desired positions in the stadium have been used or there is no intention to operate the photographing conditions of the camera personally, the user simply looks at the image from a predetermined position. In the case of enjoying watching a game, from the display screen presented on the display device 22 of the client 20,
When the photographing terminal 30 is designated, the shared use is selected.

If the photographing terminal 30 at the desired position is unused or has already been used for joint use, the user can immediately receive the watching service without any problem. On the other hand, when the photographing terminal 30 at the desired position is already exclusively used, the server 10 notifies the display device 22 of the exclusively used client 20 that there is a joint use applicant as voice or telop. .

Then, only when the exclusive user has accepted the joint use, the joint use applicant can receive the watching service. However, the first exclusive user has the right to specify the shooting conditions of the shooting terminal 30. In addition, as the number of shared users increases halfway, the exclusive user's usage fee is reduced.

Also, in the case of a game such as an all-star game that is highly popular and can be expected to have a use request that greatly exceeds the number of shooting terminals installed in the stadium, the exclusive use service is canceled and only the shared use service is provided. It is also possible to implement the watching service at a usage fee corresponding only to the seat position of the imaging terminal 30. Even in this case, there is an advantage that one user can receive video streams at a plurality of seat positions.

In this embodiment, the watching service for sports games such as soccer and baseball has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to watching sports games and applies to all events in which the audience participates, such as music concerts and lectures. Can be applied, and has the same effect as watching sports.

As described above, the invention made by the present inventor is:
Although specifically described based on the embodiment, the present invention
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0047]

The effects obtained by the invention disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

(1) An image captured by a camera installed at a predetermined position in the stadium for each user can be displayed on the user's display device via a network such as the Internet or a broadcast network. Thus, the user can enjoy the video from a desired position on the stadium, and can enjoy a real-time feeling as if watching a game at the stadium.

(2) Since the user can remotely control the panning and zooming processing of the camera, the user can view an image according to the progress of sports and the wishes and preferences of the user.

(3) It is possible to output video and audio of a remote user through a display and a speaker provided in a photographing device installed in the stadium, so that the user seems to be watching and cheering at that location. Atmosphere can be conveyed to the players in the game.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a remote watching system in Internet broadcasting according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Server 11 ... Video input device 12 ... Video management device 13 ... Video processing device 14 ... Transmission device 15 ... Billing management device 20, 20-1 to 20-n ... Client 21 ... Receiving device 22 ... Display device 23 ... Operating device 24: Camera 25: Microphone 30, 30-1 to 3
0-m photographing terminal 31 photographing camera 32 image transmitting device 33 control signal input device 34 photographing control device 35 display 36 speaker 40 network

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C054 AA01 CA04 CC03 CE02 CE12 CE14 CF06 CG05 CG06 DA01 DA06 EA05 FA09 FD02 FE02 HA16 5C064 BA07 BB03 BC01 BC06 BC23 BD02 BD04 BD08

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A server for transmitting and receiving a video stream in Internet broadcasting, a client for receiving a video stream, a plurality of photographing terminals installed in a stadium, and a network in which the server, the client, and the photographing terminal are connected. In the system, the server is a video input device that inputs a video stream from the shooting terminal,
A video management device for managing the input video stream, a video processing device for processing the video stream, and a transmission device for transmitting the processed video stream to a network, wherein the client transmits the video transmitted to the network. A receiving device that receives a stream, a display device that displays a video stream, and an operation device that controls shooting conditions of the shooting terminal, the shooting terminal includes a camera for shooting, and a video shot by the camera. A remote watching service system comprising: a video transmitting device for transmitting; a control signal input device for inputting a control signal from the operating device of the client; and a shooting control device for changing a shooting condition of a camera based on the control signal. . 2. The client includes a camera for photographing a user and a microphone, the photographing terminal includes a display and a speaker, and outputs an image of the user of the client to the display and outputs sound to the speaker. The remote watching service system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The remote watching service system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes a charging management device that charges the client according to a service usage form of the client. 4. The server according to claim 1, wherein shooting conditions of a camera are registered in advance in the server, and a desired image is provided to each client during a match. Remote watching service system.